GOLF

GOLF; The Fatal Attraction of Three of the More Stunning Holes

By JAIME DIAZ

Published: June 15, 1992

The eighth, ninth and 10th holes at Pebble Beach make up perhaps the greatest three-hole stretch of consecutive par-4's in all of golf. The setting is unparalleled, more than 1,000 yards of craggy coastline along the farthest reaches of the course. When the wind is blowing against or across the golfer, the player who emerges with three pars will gain ground on the field. No. 8, 431 yards

This is the hole that provides Jack Nicklaus's favorite shot in golf. After a well-placed blind drive up a hill from an ocean-sprayed tee, the golfer will reach the top of the fairway as it begins to dogleg to the right, from where he will face one of the most awesome sights in the game. Off a cliff that plunges 150 feet into a yawning inlet of Carmel Bay, he will be asked to launch a low- to mid-iron down to the smallest green on the course, which is surrounded by five bunkers and perched 60 feet above the churning sea.

The cove acts as a whirlpool for strong winds, making even well-struck shots that hang above the green liable to stray into one of the bunkers or worse. The hole was the second-most difficult in relation to par on the course in the 1972 Open, the fourth-most difficult in 1982. No. 9, 464 yards

It's a beautiful, flowing hole in which the green can be seen from the tee across a fairway that tumbles from left to right.

An average drive will stay short of the downslope, requiring a long iron or even fairway wood approach. A long drive that avoids the fairway bunkers on the left and kicks down the hill will leave a medium iron. The green is protected by only one bunker and can be hit with a bounced-up approach. The hole ranked as the third-most difficult in 1972, first in 1982. No. 10, 426 yards

The most difficult tee shot of the three holes, with a long fairway bunker to catch pulled drives, and only the ocean to catch those that are pushed. To bring the world's largest water hazard more into play, the United States Golf Association is not bordering the right side of the fairway with roll-retarding rough. Although most of the trouble on the approach -- about a 7-iron after a good drive -- is behind the green, there is again a sharp cliff only a few yards off the right side of the green that can lead to disaster. The 10th was the sixth-most difficult hole in 1972, the second in 1982.

Drawing/Diagram shows layouts and gives statistical results for the 8th, 9th, and 10th holes in 1972 and 1982.